Drain board



Aug. 3, 1937. P. E. GLDHOF DRAIN BOARD Filed Jan. ll, 1953 @O O OGG OOO Patented Aug. 3, 1937 Peter Eduard Geldhof,

` i DRAIN BOARD Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to Easy Washing Machine Corporation, Syracuse, N. Y., alcorporation of Delaware Application January 11, 1933, Serial No. 651,131'1 n A `4`Claims. 'Ihisiinvention.relates to new and useful improvements.in drain boards and relates more particularlyto-drain` boards adapted to be used in connection with that type of clotheswashing 5- and-idryng-machine in which an extractor or drying apparatus `operates in conjunction with a r:Washing machine. e e.

In `clothes washing` and drying machines of the |combined typegapair of vats, one for containing the washing elements` and the other for containing the-drying apparatuaf-are usually mounted upon a-commonbase. To preventdrippage of cleansing uid and water on the floor, it has been customary to utilize some form of drain board between the-washing vatrand the extractor vat.

Various types of drainl boards have been used and various means employed torender them easily Aandlquickly movablefrom one positionto another and thereby to prevent water-and cleansing fluid `from ldrippingon the floor, notonly as thelclothes `are transferredffrom the washing machine .to the extractor vat fbut also as the clothes are transferred from the extractor vat ,to1 a clothesreceiving vessel, such as a laundry tray or the like.

.25 .;Ilt isnot desirable to,a ttach several drain boards 4in1the*requiredfixed positions on, the machineY as theynot ,onlyy interfere with free accessto the interior thereofV but also increase the space occupiedbyv the machine. "This'vhas necessitated the `use otexpensiveapparatus which will adapt the drain boardtobe movable. on the extractor vat :from` position tolposition. This arrangement has .requiredtheprovision of a rather heavy and expensiveiframe str'}l1cinn"eV at the topof the extracl5 tor-vat for.` 'suppgortingrthe drain board, and has caused considerable inconvenience and loss of time in changing :the drain board from one position `,to another. A

Anoblict of my invention is to provide an o ,improved` and simplified means for preventing `50 are transferred from the ywashing vat to the drying vat andfrom the drying vat to a vessel externally thereof Without necessitating the movement of `any partothe machine 'or interfering many way with irez-:access to the interior of the Another objectof my invention is to provide a drain Vboard means conforming in curvaturepto the rcurvature or the washer vat and supported by the drying-vat abovethe level of the washer vat in a `position such that the cover for the washer vat may be slipped under the, projecting curved lip of the drain board into positionon the washer Figurel` is a partial plan` sectional View ofthe extractor vat., 1 y W Y Figure 5 isa view` taken `on `the Vline` 5`5` of Figure4.` t Referringtothe drawing, a drying extractor l `generally indicatedby the numeralllis shown mounted in juxtaposition t`o aA washing machine, generally indicated by the numeral I2. The drying extractorinvgeneral comprises anV extractor vatA I3` within which is mounted a suitable` means of drying clothes. Although it will be understood thatvarious typesvof drying ,apparatus may be used, I have shownan extractor basket I4 of the foraminous rotatable type. The washing machine I2 comprises a Washing vat I 6 in which may n be mounted any suitable means for washing clothes such4 as indicated at I'I in Figure 1. The Washing machine `and the drying extractor may be driven eitherseparately or from a common source of motive powerwhich is preferably i mounted beneath and partially hidden from View by an apron I8 which also serves as a mounting `base for the vats. l

Atthe top of the extractor vat, I provide a frame member I9 which may be supported partially by the extractor vat I3 and partially by means of supports or tie rods 2 I. which are secured to and extend from the apron I8. The frame member I9 through the tie rods, holds the extractor vatv in position on the base, although if desired, the tie rods may be omitted and the frame I9 supported entirely by the extractor vat. The upper ends of the tie rods are threaded into the bottom of frame member I9 as at 20. The frame member I9, at the point of its support on the extractor vat, is circumferentially grooved as at 22 to receive the lip of the extractor vat and also to receive a U-shaped ring 23 secured to the lip to protect it from deformation. The frame member I9 has a central opening therein substantially concentric with the opening in` the extractor vat I3. At the inner circumference of this opening, the frame member extends downwardly to form a depending circular flange 24.

A circular plate 26 having a central opening 21 and a depending marginal flange 30 is adapted to fit within the depending flange 24. The circumference of the depending flange 24 is grooved at 28 and around the circumference of the marginal flange is formed a plurality of, in this instance three, inwardly extending hollow bosses 29.

Internally of each of the bosses 29 there is mounted a hollow plunger 3I which is pressedr outwardly by means of a spring 32 fitted internally of the plunger. 'I'he projecting portion of the plunger is rounded so that when the plate 26 is placed in position on the frame member I9 and pressed downwardly, the plungers 3| ride into the groove 28 and the plate is retained in position. The plate 26 extends inwardly and overlies the space between the extractor vat I3 and the clothes basket I4 and overlies the outer circumference of the clothes basket whereby water thrown from the rotatable basket I4 will be retained within the extractor vat I3. The plate 26 may be readily withdrawn to permit removal of the clothes basket I4 by drawing the plate upwardly thereby compressing the springs 32 and permitting the plungers to ride out of the groove.

As will be vseen more clearly from Figure l, one side of the frame member I9 extends outwardly beyondY the rim of the extractor vat to form a drain board 33. The lip of the washing vat I6 lies below the lip of the extractor vat, and in order to permit as little space as possible between thevats, the lip of the washing vat extends into a groove 35 formed on'the circumference of the ,extractor vat. The drain board 33 overlies the space between the extractor vat and the washing vat and extendsga sufficient distance beyond the extractor vat to overlie the rim of the washing machine whereby, as the clothes are transferred from the washing vat to the drying vat, drippage of fluid externally of the machine will be prevented. The drain board 33 is curved to conform to the curvature of the rim of the washing vat so that the drain board offers little or no interference to the ready placement in or removal of clothes from the washing machine.

As shown in Figure 2, a cover 40 for the washer vat may be slipped into position under the extended lip of the drain board 33. A nut and bolt assembly 45 Vserves to tie the vats in this close relationship so that the extended lip of the drain board will always overlie the rim of the washing vat. Means are provided for sealing the openings in the vats through which the bolt 45 passes and to prevent leakage therefrom, which means may take the form of a rubber sealing member 45. The rubber sealing member is apertured to receive the bolt 45 and is provided with three enlarged portions, one of which lies between the vats and the other two of which lie between the respective vat and the head and nut of the assembly 45.

Extending upwardly from the frame member I9 is a pair of hinge lugs 36 which are adapted to co-operate with corresponding hinge lugs 31 formed on the top of a cover member 38. The

cover member 38 in its closed position completely overlies the opening in the frame member and is partially supported by a bumper 41. When the cover member is moved to an open position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, it is adapted to be retained in an inclined position by means of a stop 4I formed on a boss 42 extending outwardly from the frame member I9. The cover member 38 has a substantially smooth under surface and the outer free edge of the circumference is curved as at 43 to form, when the cover member is in an open position, a downwardly depending lip. 'I'he remainder of the circumference is raised whereby a drain board is formed which is adapted to catch the drippage as clothes are transferred from the extractor vat to an external clothes receiving vessel.

Although the hinge members 36 and 31 may be placed so that the cover member will open in any direction with respect to the extractor vat, the preferable position for the cover member when it lies in its open position so as to act as a drain board is a position diametrically opposite the drain board 33.

It will be observed that neither the drain board 33 nor the cover, when in a position to be opera-l tive as a drain board, interferes with free access to the interior of either of the vats. It will further be observed that I have provided a means for preventing drippage of fluid externally of the vats and still have not made it necessary for the user to move a drain board from one position to another as the drain board 33 is always in position and a cover for the extractor vat would necessarily have to be provided anyway.

It will be understood that my invention is adapted for use in various types of washing machine apparatus and, therefore, I do not Wish to be limited to the exact construction shown, as various changes may be made both in the form and relation of the parts thereof, without departing from the scope of this invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, an extractor vat, a rotatable clothes basket mounted in said vat, an annular frame member mounted on the top of said extractor vat having a circular recess for receiving the rim of the extractor vat, said annular frame member having an opening conforming substantially to the opening in the extractor vat and having an annular flange depending internally thereof, an annular plate overlying the space between said extractor vat and said rotatable clothes basket, and a spring-pressed means for removably securing said annular plate in said annular ange.

2. In a device of the class described, an extractor vat, a rotatable clothes basket mounted in said vat, an annular frame member mounted on the top of said extractor vat having a circular recess for receiving the rim of the extractor vat and having an integral portion thereof extending outwardly to form a drain board, said annular frame member having an opening conforming substantiallyto the opening in the extractor vat and having an annular flange depending internally thereof, an annular plate overlying the space between said extractor vat and said rotatable clothes basket, and springpressed means for removably securing said annular plate in said annular flange.

3. In a device of the class described, an extractor vat, a rotatable clothes basket mounted in said vat, a frame member mounted on top of said extractor vat having a recess for receiving the rim of the extractor vat, said frame member having an opening conforming substantially to the opening in theextractor vat, an auxiliary cover plate overlying the space between said extractor vat and said rotatable basket, and yielding means for removably securing said auxiliary cover plate to said frame member.

4. In a device of the class described, in combination, a washer vat, an extractor vat, a base extending beneath and upon which said extractor vat rests, Van annular frame member supported on the top of said extractor vat, a plurality'of tie rods extending upwardly from said base externally of said extractor vat and coupled to said frame member for rigidly securing it to said vat and for securing said vat to said base, said vannular frame member having a portion thereof formed into a drain board extending downwardly and outwardly from said extractor vat, said drain board being unsupported on the Washer vat over the rim of which it extends, and a cover for said extractor vat having a drain board surface hinged to said frame member and adapted when in an open position to form a second drain board for said extractor vat.

PETER EDUARD GELDHOF. 

